Clarification
by Dana Doggett
Summary: Scully takes Doggett to the Hard Eight Lounge in Philadelphia.


Title: Clarification

Author: Dana Doggett

E-mail:

Date: January 24, 2003

Rating: PG

Category: DSR

Spoilers: Never Again

Archive: Anywhere, just let me know .

Disclaimer: John Doggett, Dana Scully, Monica Reyes and Fox Mulder are not my characters, if they were, "The X-Files" would have ended in a completely different way. I do not profit from writing fanfiction; I do this for pure enjoyment.

Feedback: I love it! Send to:

Beta: Not used. Typos and especially grammar errors are my own :) I promise, if I had written this in French about 5-6 years ago that grammar would be perfect.  
Unfortunate my first language isn't that good.

Summary: Scully takes Doggett to the Hard Eight Lounge in Philadelphia.

Author's Note: I'm not very confident with this story, it's a departure from what I normally write. All feedback is greatly appreciated. I've used no beta so any and all mistakes are mine and I like them, so ha!

Dedication: to Kristi for inspiring me to write a story outside of "Fox & Rat" Virtual Series, and to not write humor, and for reading this story before I typed it up, despite the fact that you do not 100% support DSR. But I know you like it.

CLARIFICATION By Dana Doggett

It had been a long day of surveillance for John Doggett and Dana Scully. Mulder had insisted that they go check out a UFO organization based in Philadelphia. He had received an anonymous tip that the organization had captured an alien and were going to use its telepathic powers to control the mind of the President and other world leaders. Because Mulder and Monica were already working on another case, Mulder demanded that Scully and Doggett "check things out". They did so, but only after Scully debated with Mulder for a couple hours.

After the first few hours passed in their surveillance, Doggett and Scully's suspicions were proven correct. This UFO organization was nothing more than a group of twenty-somethings getting together to watch alien movies.

Scully had called Mulder on his cell phone and informed him that his informant was only pulling his leg, there was no alien. Mulder was disappointed but thanked her for checking it out anyway and then hung up.

Since they were stuck in Philadelphia for the remainder of the evening, Doggett and Scully decided to go back to the hotel, wash up and go out for dinner and a drink.

It was Scully's idea to go to the Hard Eight Lounge. The place was just as she remembered it. Dark, loud, still the number one place for people to go when they wished to feel better about their own lives because everyone else who was there seemed to have worse problems than they do.

Scully and Doggett found a table in a dark corner of the bar and ordered drinks.

Though he didn't say it, Doggett seemed puzzled as to why Scully had chosen to take him to this place. He figured she was a conservative person. Maybe he was wrong. To keep himself comfortable, he rambled on about the ridiculous case Mulder had asked them to do that day.

As he rambled, Scully drifted away in her own thoughts. Why had she wanted to come back to this place? It's not like she had the greatest time here several years ago. Was it because once again Mulder played her superior and demanded that she do work for him? Did she unknowingly feel the need to get wasted again? God help her, there was no way in Hell that she was going to come home with another tattooed souvenir or a one-night stand.

She pauses her thoughts and glances at Doggett, he seemed rather comfortable in his surroundings. Had he spent nights at bars such as this, drowning his own sorrows? She didn't know. In fact, there was a lot unsaid between the two of them. They had become close friends over the past few years. Yet there were still topics that they want to discuss - need to discuss - but they haven't found the right opportunity to do so. One being her suspicion that John believed she and Mulder were romantically together...interested in each other. The opportunity to clarify that never seemed to present itself.

"Dana?"

Upon hearing John's voice, Scully snapped out of her own mind.

"Yeah?"

"I asked you a question," he seemed a bit irritated.

"I'm sorry, I uh... was thinking about something else. What was the question?"

"I asked whether or not you were going to enlighten me as to why we came to a place like this." He smiled at her, reassuring her that he isn't irritated with her lack of attention. He continued when she didn't answer him right away. "Or should I let my imagination come up with a wild theory? You know agent Mulder isn't the only one capable of such a thing."

There he goes again, mentioning Mulder, ok time to get off that topic. She laughs before speaking.

"Wild theory? Now you've got me interested in the ideas of your imagination." She gives him a smile. "Actually I was here several years ago, some guy told me it was a great place to go to make yourself feel better, ya know everyone here looks like they have worse problems than you."

"You got a problem?"

Scully takes a sip from her drink.

"Everyone's got problems, John."

"You said you've been here before, with agent Mulder I presume?"

"No. Mulder wasn't with me. Like today, he asked me to do surveillance, I wound up in the tattoo parlor across the street, met a guy and he had mentioned this place, I asked him to take me here."

"You wound up in a tattoo parlor? I didn't notice that you had a tattoo." He sounds amused.

"Let's just say it's well-hidden." She watches Doggett react to her vague detail on the location of her tattoo. The look on his face made her wonder where his mind was placing the tattoo on her body. She smiles at that thought.

Doggett began to ask a question, "What kind of -"

"An ouroborous. Snake eating it's own tail. It represents conflict in life, that one must die in order to be reborn, a symbol of a new beginning."

"Must have been at a changing point in your life. Well, either that or you were really hammered."

"No, not hammered, it was more rebellious. I have the tendency to do that when I feel misunderstood or degraded by authority figures."

"Any chance you'll be getting another tattoo tonight?" He asked playfully.

"No."

For a few seconds, they are quiet. Doggett seems to be humored by something, Scully doesn't even want to imagine what, but she just has to ask.

"What is it, John?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you talkin' all mysterious about your tattoo's location - "

"I was not."

"Well, you told me what it was but not where you had it done. I'd say you're purposely not tellin' me, for your own humor." He smirked at her, "Besides, I think you're forgetting that I've read all those x-file cases, I know where it is." He winks at her and takes a long drink from his glass.

Slightly embarrassed, Scully lowers her head, "So, you know everything that happened between Ed and I? The one-night stand - "

"- Geez Dana!" He lets out an uncomfortable cough, "One-night stand?! Was the guy worth it?!"

Scully gives him a disapproving look, she doesn't answer.

Again, silence. A minute passes and Doggett rubs the back of his neck, better change the subject.

"So, somethin' goin' on in your life now that made you wanna come back here tonight?" He speaks seriously, then changes his tone to flirtation for the rest of his question, "Or are you expectin' to get a one-night stand outta me?"

The straight-forwardness to his question makes Scully uncomfortable.

"No... and um... even if that were my plan, I'd know better because you aren't that kind of guy."

He teases her, "You sure of that?"

Scully's mouth drops open in shock. What is he doing to her mind? How does she respond to that?

Doggett senses her uneasiness.

"I'm just kiddin', Dana." He's sincere. He reaches over and places his hands on hers. She looks up at him, wide-eyed. "You're right, I'm not that kind of guy."

Doggett lets go of her hands. What comes out of her mouth next is unexpected, even to her.

"What kind of guy are you, John?" He looks at her quizzically, she elaborates, "I've known you for a few years now and not once have you been out with a woman."

"I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"Besides me."

"Besides you? I don't like to waste my time with women I'm not interested in."

"What are you saying, that you're interested in me?" She laughs, not taking him seriously, or is she laughing because she knows that is the truth, and finally it's coming out? She stops when she notices Doggett was being serious. For some idiotic reason, she feels the need to apologize to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you're interested in me... like that."

"No. You're exactly what I'm interested in, Dana." He's blunt.

Since when has John Doggett been so straight-to-the-  
point with her? She leans back in her chair, to better look at him, trying to see if he is pulling her leg.

"Why me?" she asks suspiciously.

"Why not?"

Suddenly, it seems as if everyone has stopped what they were doing, and has decided to watch them and listen in on their conversation. Uncomfortable, Scully turns her head to look behind her, no one is watching, they could care less.

When Scully hadn't answered him after a few seconds, Doggett decides that he has said something wrong, that he shouldn't have told her that he's interested in her.

"Look, I respect you. If you don't share the feelings that I have for you, that's all right, I understand."

Angrily, he stands up and heads to the bar to pay for their drinks. Scully remains at their table, speechless. She didn't mean to upset him, she just wasn't sure how to express her feelings to him. She had her suspicions that he cared for her more than just a working relationship. She assumed he didn't act upon his feelings because of either her inability to show interest in him or her unclear relationship with Mulder. Well, the last part is unclear to Doggett, not her.

She stands up, grabbing her coat and heads to the exit, where Doggett is waiting. However before she can get to him, he steps outside. Obviously, still bitter about her reaction to him saying he is interested in her.

Wonderful, they have the rest of the night, morning breakfast and an airplane ride back to D.C. to get through and he's acting like this. She should tell him how she feels about him and clarify to him her relationship with Mulder. She exits, unsure how to go about doing this.

Doggett is only a few feet ahead of her, heading back to their rental car, which is parked a couple blocks away. Scully quickens her pace in order to catch up to him.

"John!"

He stops and turns to face her. Once she is face to face with him, she decides to blurt out what is on her mind.

"There's nothing between Mulder and I."

There, she said it, he knows.

Doggett doesn't respond to her statement. Not only is there a look of relief written on his face, but also one that indicates he is still ticked about earlier, yet a passion for her in his eyes. Before she knows what is happening, Doggett has her back pressed up against the brick wall of a building, his lips against hers.

This is raw passion, caused by years of pent up tension between the two of them. Scully runs her hands roughly up the back of his neck and through his hair. She holds his head, wanting him to continue, not wanting this moment to end. He pulls back, leaving her breathless.

He steps back, keeping his eye on her. He knows that he has left her wanting more, but he refuses to act upon it tonight. Yeah, she may not be involved with Mulder, but he can't know for sure if she feels the same way that he does about her, or if she's just looking for another one-night stand. Especially considering she took him to a place where she last hooked up with a one-nighter.

Scully lets out a small cough and steps away from the wall. She straightens her hair and clothing, after realizing that his hands had devoured her within seconds of contact. She looks to him, he looks away. They head back to the car.

They drive back to their hotel in complete silence.

That night, Scully lies awake, unable to shake the feelings that John Doggett aroused in her. The feel of his body pressed against her own, the taste of his mouth, the roughness of his touch... all too much for her to take at once. It had been years since a man made her feel this way. She hated herself for only telling him the Mulder part of what she wanted to say, that she didn't tell him that she cared for him the way he cares for her. Now it was probably too late. He had been silent for a reason. Like he had asked, he probably thought she was trying to get a one-night stand out of him. That wasn't true.

Restless, she turns to glance at the clock, 3:17 a.m. Great, with her mind and body as worked up as it is, she'll never get any sleep.

There is a gentle knock on the door that joins her room with Doggett's. The door creeks open and Doggett pokes his head in.

"Dana...?" He's quiet. "You awake?"

Scully moans a response. She rolls over to face him and sits up.

Doggett enters the room and sits on the foot of her bed.

"I couldn't sleep," he began, "I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I disrespected you, I never meant to do that. It won't happen again."

Scully nods her head, it's nice to have a man state that he respects her.

"Apology accepted."

Doggett nods his head, relieved that he did not upset her. He stands up and heads to the door.

Dammit, she wants to tell him. She has to keep him here longer. Her mind races to find a way to discuss her feelings for him.

"John?" she hesitates, "Why did you-?"

"It felt like the right thing to do."

He disappears into his room. Frustrated, Scully gets out of bed and follows him.

"John? Why did you say that you won't let that happen again?"

"Why? Do you want it to happen again?"

Scully bites her lower lip. Of course she wants it to happen again.

"Well... it wouldn't be a bad thing... I just uh... need to... well, I want to tell you that - "

"Dana, you're beating around the bush about something. What is it?"

Ok, he wants her to come right out and say it. She can do that.

"I want you, John."

There, she said it... though it could have been worded better.

"I'm standin' here." He crosses his arms across his chest.

Scully steps towards him, "I told you that there is nothing between Mulder and I because I thought that maybe that was the reason why you hadn't acted upon the feelings you have for me. I wanted to clarify that so you could... then you did... and now you seem just a little... off."

He sighs and uncrosses his arms. "Ok, let's pretend you just told me about you and Mulder. There's nothin' between you two. I'm lookin' at you, you're lookin' at me... now what?"

They look into each other's eyes for some time, both unsure about what to do next. Scully decides that she has to make the first move, to show him that she cares for him. She goes up to him, places her hand on his shoulder and kisses him on the cheek, lingering for a few seconds. He looks down at her, a new softness in his eyes, he understands.

"Dana..." he speaks softly to her.

"Shhh..." she places her fingertip on his mouth, quieting him.

She wraps her arms around his waist, engraving this moment into her memory... the beat of his heart, the sound of his breath, the feel of his arms pulling her closer to him. She shuts her eyes, enjoying the comfort that being this close to him brings her. She lets out a sigh, then relaxes into him. Melts into him.

Doggett's arms loosen and he tilts her face up towards his and kisses her softly on the lips. The sensations his touch gives, cause her to tremble lightly. She didn't know that any man could make her feel this way, loved.

He kisses her once more on the forehead before caressing her face and saying goodnight.

Scully returned to her own bed without him. She knew this would be one of her last nights sleeping alone.

END

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